Threading device



April 9, 1946.

E. N. suvuvxows 2,398,052"

THREADING DEVICE Filed May 19, 1945 Patented Apr. 9, 1946 THREADING DEVICE Edward N. Simmons, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Simmons Manufacturing 00., Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois Application May 19, 1943, Serial No. 487,620

Claims.

This invention relates to threading devices of the character which facilitate tying together a number of articles of clothing or the like.

In laundries and other establishments where a number of articles of clothing or the like are secured together to facilitate handling thereof in cleaning and like operations, it has been customary heretofore to secure the articles together by means of so-called safety pins or other relatively rigid means. It has been observed that in those instances where articles are so secured together have been handled rather roughly, as by being tumbled in washing and like machines, the articles are ofttimes torn or otherwise damaged. It is known, however, that if in such circull stances the articles are secured together by flexible means such as by being tied together with suitable string or the like tearing or other damage thereto in the event of rough handling thereof may, to a great extent at least, be avoided.

Hence, it is among the objects of this invention to facilitate tying together articles of clothing or the like by flexible means such as string, and objects related to the foregoing are to enable the string or the like to be passed through the articles to be secured together so that thereafter the string or the like may be tied or otherwise suitably secured so as to thereby fasten the articles together along with, in many instances, suitable identifying means which may either be secured to one or more of the articles or connected to the group thereof by the means fastening the articles together.

Other objects of the invention are to support a piercing element in such position that articles to be secured together may be impaled thereon and to so arrange the piercing element that a string or the like will also be passed through the articles so as to thereby enable the articles to be secured together; to afford a support for a supply of the string or the like so as to thereby enable different groups of articles to be expeditiously secured together; to support the piercing element and a supply of string or the like on a common support and in such manner that the likelihood of persons being injured by the piercing element will be reduced to a minimum; to direct the string or the like from the supply thereof to and through the piercing element; to so arrange the piercing element that the piercing function thereof may be effected without injury to the string or the like passed therethrough so as to thereby insure that the string or the like will also be passed through articles impaled on the piercing element;

and to expedite severance of the string or the like after passage thereof through the articles so as to thereby facilitate tying of the string or the like so as to secure the articles together.

Other and further objects of the present invention will be apparent from the following description and claims and are illustrated in the accompanying drawing which, by way of illustration, shows a preferred embodiment and the principle thereof and what I now consider to be the best mode in which I have contemplated applying that principle. Other embodiments of the invention embodying the same or equivalent principles may be used and structural changes may be made as desired by those skilled in the art without departing from the present invention and the purview of the appended claims.

In the drawing,

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view showing my improved device mounted on a wall and also showing articles to be secured together impaled on the piercing element of my device;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the device as shown in Fig. 1 but not having articles impaled on the piercing element;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary perspective'view illustrating One manner in which articles may be se-v cured together by the use of the device of this invention; and

Figs. 4 and 5 are views taken substantially and respectively on the lines 44 and 5-5 on Fig. 1.

The form of my invention illustrated in the accompanying drawing includes a bracket lo desirably formed of strap iron and including at the upper end thereof a ledge ll having an opening l2 formed therein. This bracket desirably includes openings through which screws as S or the like may be passed to enable the bracket to be secured to a Wall W or the like.

A substantially cup-shaped but rather shallow shelf I 3, desirably substantially circular in outline has a flattened portion l4 thereon rested against the bracket I0 substantially midway between the ends thereof and the shelf I3 is secured to the bracket H] by a rivet l5 or the like.

A spool SP of thread, string or the like is adapted to be rested on the shelf l3 so that the free end of the thread or string T may be lead therefrom and passed through the opening it in the ledge I l to thereafter be directed to the p ercin element of my device.

The piercing element of my device includes a hollow needle Ii; embodying an enlarged end portion I! and having a passage 18 extended therethrough to the tapered pointed end 99 thereof. The enlarged end portion ll of the needle I6 is passed into a socket 20 at the free end of a stud 2| that is riveted or otherwise suitably secured to the bracket i as indicated at 22 below the shelf l3. A set screw 23 is passed through the stud 2| to engage the enlarged end portion ll of the needle I6 when the same is inserted into the socket 20 to thereby firmly secure the needle l6 into position.

Thus, the needle I6 is removably secured into position and this enables needles of different sizes to be included in my device should it be found advantageous so to do and this also facilitates repair and replacement of the needle in the event the need so to do arises.

A pocket or recess 24 is formed in the stud 2| inwardly of the socket 20 so that the thread T may be led from the opening i2 and through the recess 24 to thereafter be passed through the bore l8 of the needle i6 so that it may depend from the free endof the needle l6 as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Desirably, the pointed end |9 of the needle I6 is so tapered that the piercing point is disposed well forwardly of the inner portion of this tapered end so that the thread T may depend from the free end of the needle inwardly of the piercing point.

A severing device 25 is desirably secured to the bracket It adjacent the lower end thereof and includes a knife edge 26 that is utilized in the manner explained presently.

When a group of articles as A such as, for example, towels, stockings or the like are to be secured together the thread T is first passed through the needle l6 so that the free end thereof depends from the pointed end i9 of the needle. The articles are then impaled on the needle H in side by side relation as shown in Fig. l and when the desired number of articles have been so impaled a length of the thread T is drawn through the needle I6 and the articles are slid from the needle i6 onto the length of thread so extended beyond the free end of the needle. Thereafter this length of thread, intermediate the free end of the needle and the articles strung thereon, is severed desirably by being brought into contact with the knife edge 26 and subsequently the two ends of the thread are tied togather to thereby fasten the articles together as, for example, in the manner shown in Fig. 3. In many instances at least one of the articles so secured together will have some identifying means secured thereto but in other instances an identification tag as 21 may be impaled on the needle l6 so as to have the thread T passed therethrough so that such a tag will be secured to the articles at the time the thread is tied to secure the articles together.

By referring to Fig. 1 it will be seen that the piercing element of my device, including the stud 2| and the needle I6, are related in length to the diameter of the shelf l3 so as to not extend beyond the shelf l3. Moreover, the piercing element is preferably arrangedv in juxtaposition to the shelf I3 and therefore the shelf i3 serves to protect the pointed end of the needle i6 and in this way the likelihood of persons coming into contact with the point ofthe needle is mitigated.

It will be manifest from the foregoing description that my device materially expedites securing together of articles of clothing or the like by flexible means. This is particularly true since my device is so arranged that a supply of thread, string or the like may be stored thereon in such a way that the free end of this thread, string or the like may be directed from the supply and passed through the piercing element on which the articles to be secured together may be impaled. Furthermore, by reason of the fact that the thread, string or the like is passed through the piercing element when articles are impaled on this element, the string is thereby passed therethrough and this enables the articles to be secured together by such string once the articles are slid from the piercing element onto the string that has been passed therethrough in the manner just explained. Furthermore, the inclusion of a severing means in my device facilitates severance of the thread or string and this expedites fastening the articles together by means of the string.

While I have illustrated and described a selected embodiment of my invention, it is to be understood that this is capable of variation and modification and I therefore do not wish to be limited to the precise details set forth but desire to avail myself of such changes and alterations as fall within the purview of the following claims.

I claim:

1. A device of the character described including a support having a piercing element mounted thereon, said element including a hollow needle member extended from an enlarged portion projected from and carried by said support, said portion having a recess therein at the inner end of said needle through which a thread or the like may be passed to thereafter be led through said hollow needle, a supporting member on said support in juxtaposition to said piercing element and on which a supply of thread or the like may be disposed, said piercing element and supporting member projecting in the same general direction from said support for substantially the same distance whereby said supporting member serves as a guard for said element, and means for guiding the thread or the like from the supply thereof on said supporting member to said recess.

2. A device of the character described including a support having a piercing element mounted thereon, said element including a hollow needle member extended from an enlarged portion projected from and carried by said support, said portion having a recess therein at the inner end of said needle through which a thread or the like may be passed to thereafter be led through said hollow needle, a supporting member on said support adapted to support a supply of thread, said needle and said supporting member projecting in the same general direction from said support for substantially the same distance whereby the supporting member serves as a guard for the piercing point on said needle, and means for guiding the thread or the like from the supply thereof on said supporting member to said recess.

3. A device of the character described including a support having a piercing element mounted thereon, said element including a hollow needle member extended from an enlarged portion projected from and carried by said support, said portion having a recess therein at the inner end of said needle through which a thread or the like may be passed to thereafter be led through said hollow needle, a supporting member on said support adapted to support a supply of thread, said needle and said supporting member projecting in the same general direction from said support for substantially the same distance whereby the supporting member serves as a guard for the piercing point on said needle, means for guiding the thread or the like from the supply thereof on said supporting member to said recess, and a severing element on said support on which thread or the like extended through said hollow needle may be severed.

4. In a device of the character described, an elongated bracket having a forward face and upper and lower ends and adapted to be secured upon a supporting surface or the like in a vertioally extended position, a thread guide extended forwardly from said bracket at the upper end thereof, a mounting member carried by said bracket adjacent to the lower end thereof and extended forwardly from said forward face, said mounting member having a socket extended thereinto from its forward end and having a lateral opening therein to intersect with said socket and through which a thread or the like may be extended into a rear portion of said socket, a. hollow needle member secured in said socket and extended forwardly from said mounting member, a supporting member for supporting a supply of thread or the like and mounted on said bracket above said mounting member and in downwardly spaced relation to said thread guide so as to project forwardly from said bracket for substantially the same distance as said needle whereby said supporting member serves 2 th aid upporting member.

as a guard for the piercing point of said needle.

5. In a device of the character described, an elongated bracket having a forwar face and upper and lower ends and adapted to be secured upon a supporting surface or the like in a vertically extended position, a mounting member carried by said bracket adjacent to the lower end thereof and extended forwardly from said forward face of said bracket, said mounting member having a socket extended thereinto from its forward end and having a lateral opening therein intersecting said socket and through which a thread or the like may be extended into the rear end of said socket, a hollow needle member secured in said socket and extended forwardly from said mounting member, a supporting member for supporting a supply of thread or the like and mounted on said bracket above said mounting member to project forwardly therefrom for substantially the same distance as said needle whereby said supporting member serves as a guard for the piercing point of' said needle, a thread guide carried by and extended forwardly from said bracket adjacent to the upper end thereof, and a severing element mounted on said bracket be- EDWARD N. SIMMONS. 

